Domaine Lafage Vin du Pays Cote d'Est 2010

Winemaker Notes

The Grenache Blanc, which makes up the bulk of this bottling, comes from vines over 80 years old. The blend delivers fresh aromas with bright fruit.
The Cote Est vines are located on the eastern side of the hill exposing the grapes to more sunlight in the morning with cooler temperatures in the
afternoon, which is ideal for producing such a fresh wine.

Blend: 60% Grenache Blanc, 30% Chardonnay, and
10% Marsanne

Critical Acclaim

RP90

The Wine Advocate

The Lafage 2010 Cote Est - comprising, as usual, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Chardonnay, and a bit of Marsanne - is delightfully scented with honeysuckle and iris, and its palate combination of juicy lime with the bite of cress, tangerine rind, and persistent inner-mouth florality put me in mind of some top-notch, lighter Gruner Veltliner. In fact, this harbors 13% alcohol yet finishes with a striking sense of levity, not to mention combining subtle but alluring textural enrichment via the lees with refreshing vivacity and intriguing, mouthwatering hints of iodine and salt. Look for it to prove phenomenally versatile over the next 12-18 months. As explained in issue 183, this blend is assembled as juice (not as wine) following a 12-15 day super-cold but gentle settling period for each variety and lot - just one of the many examples of wholly unorthodox Lafage methods resulting in something extraordinary, here above all in terms of uncanny balance as well as improbable price-quality rapport.

Domaine Lafage

Although only in his thirties, Jean-Marc Lafage already has almost 15 years of worldclass winemaking behind him. One of the most sought-after winemakers of Europe at the moment, Jean-Marc lends his expertise with Southern European varietals to several top estates in both France and Spain (he makes Las Rocas Garnacha with Eric Solomon) and also in South America. However, his best work is perhaps at home at his estate in the hills of the Roussillon... View More